Vertically!
by WhiteGloves
Summary: TricK トリック first movie aftermath! Yamada vs Ueda's Elite group the second round! After the duo's misadventure, how will Yamada deal with Ueda's excuse-for-an-elite group? Will Ueda continue to turn a blind eye?


****_トリック _****

****_in_****

****_Vertically_****

_by: WhiteGloves_

**_TricK トリック first movie aftermath!_**

* * *

><p>"Oh yeah, I almost forgot…" Ueda continued on that evening. "if read vertically… 'I love…'<p>

"Ueda!" Yamada persisted on as she tried to distract him.

Ueda has been trying hard to figure out the message on the tree trunk while Yamada was trying hard to prevent him from figuring it out. They had just come down from the mountain with empty hands and now the two of them were in front of a sushi restaurant.

"What is it?" Ueda asked as he turned off the engine of his car.

Yamada looked pointedly at the window and saw the restaurant. Her eyes sparked immediately.

"We're eating?" she asked excitedly as she turned to him. Ueda nodded quietly and slid out of the car. Yamada followed suit and the two entered the restaurant.

"I haven't eaten properly since the night I saw you inside that cellar," Ueda admitted looking grumpy as he sat opposite Yamada.

Yamada didn't even look up to him as she quickly grabbed the menu.

"Yosh," she smiled happily as she ordered on, making Ueda watch him over his glasses.

"Really, you are shameful," he said as they waited for the food.

"Why?"

"After all the trouble you caused me you're just going to sit and eat as if nothing happened."

"What's wrong with that? This always happen when I'm with you anyway," she shrugged airily.

Ueda gave her a disbelieving look.

"You…" he muttered sounding exasperated.

Moments later, their orders came and Yamada helped herself without ado. Ueda half watched her and half ate as he silently waited too. All the while he was trying to remember the message on the trunk.

It was already curiosity that made him try to analyze the message through and through. It was because Yamada's expression and behaviour was so strange after she read that message. He wondered then what it could be that made her tensed that night.

"If read vertically…" he muttered to himself as they ate, "it would be 'I love…'

Yamada's eyes bulged.

"Ueda!" she said, picking up the sushi on his plate and immediately slurping it down.

"Hey!" Ueda said sounding outrage, "Why are you taking food from other's dish?"

"Because you're too slow," Yamada said without looking up at him.

Ueda made a face. How can he last with the company of this savage woman?

"Ueda-sensei!" someone suddenly called.

Ueda and Yamada looked up and saw Ueda's three elite friends making their way toward their table. Yamada immediately sat up straight as she saw them coming. She remembered those faces well. They were those guys who made fun of her and her talent! Ueda Jiro's stupid elite group!

The three men stood around the table with grins Yamada took as foolish.

So trying hard not to be noticed, Yamada looked down the table as the four men talked.

"How is it, Ueda-sensei?" said one of the guys wearing an American suit, "Were you able to find the treasure? Although they have cancelled the toilet search, we couldn't just give up our hopes! Especially if a great person like yourself is in the case."

Yamada coughed at this that made Ueda glance at her.

"Well, it is unfortunate but it turned out the treasure was just a hoax," Ueda said quietly.

Yamada pressed her lips closed as she remembered that shining treasure already at the tip of her hands. Oh if only Ueda and his foolish friends knew how close she was on snatching it under their nose! If only she had the heart to leave Ueda in his fate back then, then maybe she was already shoving it under these give-me-a-break-elite-group's faces! Maybe she was laughing on their faces now!

The men shook their head looking disappointed.

"His research was futile then," someone said but Yamada couldn't figure out who it was. She didn't like to see the faces of the fools who humiliated her after all.

"Maybe we should have the whole Japan continue searching the toilet after all," someone suggested. At this, Yamada couldn't help but snicker.

"That's really stupid…" she muttered without looking up. That was when she felt their eyes bore on her. Oops…

"This person," someone said that made Yamada look up, "I remember her…"

Yamada blinked. Ueda gave her another quiet look.

"Isn't she that pathetic magician?" said one of the three as they looked at her. Yamada felt affronted.

"How rude!" she exclaimed, feeling anger starting to fill up her chest. There was no way she was going to let them fools speak like she was a thrash or something, "Who do you think all of you are? Thinking that toilets have treasures… how stupid can you all get? And you dare call yourselves successful people? Give me a break!"

"Hey, watch your mouth, you fraud!" the guy with glasses said as they frowned at her. Yamada stood up to defend herself and her dignity. She was not gonna let these idiots make fun of her anymore!

"Shut up!" she said with mounting anger.

"Ueda-sensei!" said the guy with white hair, "Why do you hang out with this kind of lowlife?"

Yamada felt something hard stabbed her heart. Low life? Her?

She looked at Ueda and saw that he was quietly sipping on his drink. It became clear to her that between her and his 'elite' friends, Ueda would probably never choose her. How painful can that get?

"I'm going, Ueda," she snapped, feeling that Ueda's betrayal was far more painful than the words of these dimwits who consider themselves elites. She grabbed her bag and was about to turn when Ueda's voice brought her back.

"Hey, mind your manners," Ueda said quietly.

Yamada stopped dead… so… he really was going to choose them then?

Feeling that it was too much for her that night, Yamada shot Ueda a look with her eyes glistening. She saw Ueda give her a serious look. It made her wonder if he also thinks that she is a low life like these cads around her…

"Ueda…" she started softly.

"I said mind your manners. You haven't finished eating have you? Sit down and finish all these!" Ueda continued with a frown on his face. Yamada blinked in surprise.

"Ueda-sensei!" said one of his elite friends as Yamada slowly sat down again. "You can't be serious?"

"What is it?" Ueda asked while Yamada watched him, "We're not yet finished eating."

Yamada saw the three men exchange looks.

"Ueda," she started slowly as she clutched on her bag, "I think I'll go…"

To her surprise, however, Ueda gave her another frown.

"Why?" he asked in confusion, "You don't like their sushi here?"

Yamada blinked again and for the first time she felt something warm and comfortable inside her chest. This stupid Ueda… making her feel that way…

"Ueda!" said one of the men again, "Don't tell me you're serious? Hanging out with frauds like this is undesirable! You must think the same!"

Ueda looked up at them with a sigh.

"Hey," he then said as his eyes bore on the gentlemen, "watch your mouth."

Yamada and the three guys were all struck as Ueda said this. Now that was something nobody expected to come…

"Let's go," said the man with the glasses and together the three excuse for an elite walked away fuming. Yamada watched them go and then looked at Ueda who continued eating as if nothing happened.

"Ueda…" she started after a few moments, "is that okay…? Aren't they your friends?"

"They'll come to sooner or later," Ueda shrugged as he continued eating, "if they need something they come. That's how it is. Don't worry yourself about them."

Yamada gave Ueda a look of deepest gratitude.

"Hmm?" Ueda raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"

Yamada pressed a smile.

"You defended me from your friends… that's why I feel happy… thank you very much."

Ueda eyed her.

"Don't be silly," he said after awhile, "go and eat."

Yamada hold back a smile.

"Ueda," she said again, "I'm sorry I said you were like them… you're not after all… no matter how many times you faint in times of danger, and no matter how rude you become, you're still a good man…"

"I said eat," Ueda looked away quietly, "it so happens I don't feel comfortable with others humiliating you even further. You're fine doing that to yourself."

Yamada shot him a look.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Go figure it out. Anyway, hurry up and eat."

Yamada smiled this time and then picked up a chopstick. She then started eating sushi like Ueda. Suddenly, the sushi tasted more delicious than before.

"Ueda!" she started enthusiastically after awhile, "I'm really happy! Thank you very much!"

Ueda looked up at her and gave her a straight expression.

"Oh, I almost forgot," he muttered to himself, "if I read the message vertically…"

Yamada was struck.

"UEDA!"

"What is it?"

"Um… can I order another sushi?"

"… oh yeah, if I read vertically…"

"UEDA!"

"What? What do you want?"

"Um… you're going to bring me to my apartment right? It's already the middle of the night so…"

"All right," he agreed, "Now… if I read vertically…"

Yamada sighed in exasperation as she bowed her head.

"Oh well… whatever…" she sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>-END-<strong>

**Sooner or later it will wane... until that day... I will be a Trick Freak!**

**:)**


End file.
